AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Do birds behave in order to avoid disclosing their nest site?: Three similarly sized passerine species with various breeding strategies behaved differently in the presence of models of mammalian and avian predators

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2003
Authors:BURES, STANISLAV, Pavel, V
Journal:Bird Study
Volume:50
Date Published:2003
ISBN Number:0006-3657
Keywords:Anthus, Anthus pratensis, Corvidae, Corvus, Corvus corax, Ficedula, Ficedula hypoleuca, Motacillidae, Muscicapa, Muscicapa hypoleuca, Muscicapidae, Sylvia, Sylvia atricapilla, Sylviidae
Abstract:Aims We tested whether solitary breeders behave in the presence of a predator in order to avoid disclosing their nest site in: hole-nesting Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, shrub-nesting Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and ground-nesting Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. Methods The behaviour of parents in response to two types of predator model (visually oriented Corvid birds and olfactory oriented Mustelid mammals) placed sequentially at 40, 5 and 1 m distance from the nest was recorded from a shelter. Results The hypothesis was supported in open-nesting species (Meadow Pipit and Blackcap), as parents did not approach the nest in the presence of a predator. In the hole-nesting Pied Flycatcher the parents disclosed the nest site in most cases (by entering the nest). The intensity of alarm calling increased with decreasing distance of a predator from the nest in all species except Meadow Pipit in the presence of Raven Corvus corax models. The intensity of attacking changed only in Meadow Pipit with decreasing distance of Stoat Mustela erminea from the nest. Conclusion The results showed that anti-predator behaviour was species-specific, depending on type of predator, habitat and nest inaccessibility.Aims We tested whether solitary breeders behave in the presence of a predator in order to avoid disclosing their nest site in: hole-nesting Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, shrub-nesting Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and ground-nesting Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. Methods The behaviour of parents in response to two types of predator model (visually oriented Corvid birds and olfactory oriented Mustelid mammals) placed sequentially at 40, 5 and 1 m distance from the nest was recorded from a shelter. Results The hypothesis was supported in open-nesting species (Meadow Pipit and Blackcap), as parents did not approach the nest in the presence of a predator. In the hole-nesting Pied Flycatcher the parents disclosed the nest site in most cases (by entering the nest). The intensity of alarm calling increased with decreasing distance of a predator from the nest in all species except Meadow Pipit in the presence of Raven Corvus corax models. The intensity of attacking changed only in Meadow Pipit with decreasing distance of Stoat Mustela erminea from the nest. Conclusion The results showed that anti-predator behaviour was species-specific, depending on type of predator, habitat and nest inaccessibility.
URL:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00063650309461293
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith